5 ms·

Nepal's Mountainside Teahouses Elevate the Experience for Trekkers

136 points by bookofjoe 10mo ago

deviation 10mo ago
I always love reading about Nepal. I've been a handful of times, for various short climbs and for some far longer 30+ day expeditions. If you're reading this and need a short escape from life, I really recommend looking into doing the trek to EBC. It's extremely accessible (and cheap), and I've personally seen people as young as 8 y/o and as old as 80 y/o doing it and having the time of their lives. I've been all over the world. Antarctica, climbing in Pakistan, trekking through the Middle East... Nepal was one of my first adventures and remains one of my favourites. To stay on topic... Teahouses can be found along every route through the mountains. Most of my fond memories are in teahouses, where you get to sit, have a black tea, and reflect on just how beautiful the people (and the mountains) are. It's also a great opportunity to meet people from other cultures. I'll always remember the Russian's who bought me a beer after climbing Island Peak, the cards I played with some kids in Samagaun... I could go on. Go visit Nepal!
- MikeNotThePope 10mo ago
  I did EBC in late 2024, and I've done a few other treks, too. I will say that while EBC was great & I'm glad I went, it's far more commercialized & full of tourists than some other treks. I found the experience of other treks (Langtang Valley, Mardi Himal) to have a more intimate and cozy vibe.
  - setsewerd 10mo ago
    Yeah, I've trekked the Annapurna circuit as well as EBC and was struck by just how much better Annapurna was. And Annapurna isn't exactly unpopular, just way less overrun than EBC and way more scenic
    - hermitcrab 10mo ago
      I think it is just the draw of the word 'Everest'. I heard that you can't even see Everest from much of Everest base trek. Perhaps someone who has been can verify that?
      - deviation 10mo ago
        It's true. Usually, the first time you see Everest is from the Everest View Hotel (a small hike up from Namche Bazaar) -- so around day 3, depending on your speed -- and then once or twice more on the approach to Gorakshep. From there, you either hike up the Kala Patthar view-point which has that famous panoramic view of Everest, basecamp, and all the surrounding peaks... Or you trek around the canyon and begin the approach to EBC itself.
      - kakacik 10mo ago
        You can see it, but best views are from nearby hill called Kala Pathar. I presume you meant from Everest Base Camp, from EBC hike you can see Everest pyramid many times. There is a very nice variant of EBC hike called 3 passes trek. Goes over 3 high altitude passes (5500, 5400, 5300m) on top of base camp, making a nice loop. A better challenge, once outside main valley just few people, and views are stunning, ie from Gokyo Ri, or north walls of Taboche or Cholatse. A difference between meh and stunning for me.
    - bookofjoe 10mo ago
      "Around Annapurna" with Mountain Travel in the early 1980s. I was in terrific shape (at sea level) and thus very surprised at how hard I was breathing after running 100 meters on the Thorong La Pass at 18,000 feet.
      - hermitcrab 10mo ago
        Altitude sickness is also very unpredictable and sometimes hits the fittest people the worst.
        10mo ago
- hermitcrab 10mo ago
  Nepal is great. The people are generally very friendly. Kathmandu is very cosmopolitan. The mountains are stunning. I am going back again for the first time in 25 years. I'm doing a much gentler trek this time!
  - checker659 10mo ago
    Kathmandu's pollution has spiraled out of control so please expect to find a much dustier capital.
    - hermitcrab 10mo ago
      That's a pity. Thanks for the heads up. Will take a face mask.
      - objektif 10mo ago
        And mosquito born diseases are going around like crazy thanks to global warming.
        checker659 10mo ago
        It's winter here. That's mostly an issue during summer. Also, if you're out trekking, then that is a non-issue (especially higher up in the mountains).
      - elliotto 10mo ago
        I've been to Nepal a bunch of times and I usually recommend just passing quickly through KTM to get to where you are going. The dust can be terrible and it is loud and polluted - the opposite reason to why most people generally want to go to Nepal. Better to spend more time in the mountains or Pokhara
- butlike 10mo ago
  Your comment really accentuates the article. I'm glad the feeling I got reading the article was corroborated by your experience, and I hope to visit Nepal one day. Thanks.
- brtkwr 10mo ago
  Nepal is also an amazing culinary experience. The food has indo-chinese influence but is its own thing. Dal bhat is what regular people eat and is available in most teahouses and is the best thing after a hard day of walking. Also don't forget to try momos (I actually know someone who went recently and never tried momos in their entire trip! Only if we had spoken first!)
  - fuzztester 10mo ago
    Dal bhat in Nepal is not unique to Nepal, it is also a huge Indian staple food, dal and rice in India, eaten in many parts of the country in various forms. Called dal chaval in Hindi states in north India, varan bhat in Maharashtra, and a variant called sambar sadam or similar in south India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal
    - brtkwr 10mo ago
      Didn’t say it was unique to Nepal. But eating a thali in Nepal is a different experience to the one in various states of India as i’m sure you know.
      - fuzztester 10mo ago
        your "is its own thing" implies "unique" to me. but if you want to hairsplit, go ahead. no issues. to each their own. and about your "as i’m sure you know.": how are you sure i know? are you me? or can you read my thoughts? hee hee. if so, mad props to you for being able to enter another person's mind. congrats, you may have acquired a siddhi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi /s.
    - objektif 10mo ago
      I have eaten both cuisines extensively and Nepali cuisine is very different from Indian and much better imo. Just because Indians eat dal bhat means little.
      - 10mo ago
maximgeorge 10mo ago
[dead]
hermitcrab 10mo ago
I trekked to the summit of Mera Peak some 25 years ago. We slept in tents every night. There were very few, if any, teahouses between Lukla and the summit back then. I guess it is good that more Nepalis are making a living from trekkers with their tea houses. It was an incredible experience, but not for the faint-hearted. A couple of people in our group were unlucky and had serious issues (oedema and an aneurism) and were too high for helicopter evacuation, but they both survived. If you want to do something like this, go with a reputable company (such as KE Experience in the UK).
- joakleaf 10mo ago
  Mera Peak is said to be possible without any climbing experience, and it looks like the trek from Lukla is about 2 weeks. Is that true? How hard is the trek -- Looks like it requires well above average fitness level?
  - hermitcrab 10mo ago
    (Based on my recollections from ~25 years ago) Mera peak is the second highest non-technical peak in the world (the highest is in S America) at ~21,000 feet. Meaning you can basically walk to the top (no real climbing, but we were roped together for the final section, in case of crevasses). But the altitude and weather makes it much tougher than the equivalent trek near sea level. The summit day was incredibly gruelling, the hardest thing I have ever done physically. So you need a decent level of fitness. If you are significantly overweight or have dodgy knees, then it isn't for you. You are moderately fit and prepared to do some long walks in preparation, then you are probably fine. If you aren't sure, maybe go on one of the lower level treks and see how you get on.
    - helsinkiandrew 10mo ago
      > the highest is in S America Aconcagua in Argentina. It's on my 'things to do if in the area' list. The nearest airport is only a 200km drive on a tarmac road away and then a 40km trek to the peak! Although the 4km altitude gain is likely to be harder than the distance.
Lucasjohntee 10mo ago
[flagged]
fooker 10mo ago
This is main difference between backpacking in the US vs backpacking in India/Nepal/Bhutan. You just pack clothes, no matter how remote your destination is, there’s going to be food and shelter available every 6-8hours.
- hermitcrab 10mo ago
  >there’s going to be food and shelter available every 6-8hours In Nepal? That sounds like a risky assumption to make.
  - fooker 10mo ago
    Yes Of course if you go completely off-trail for days all bets are off.
- wavefunction 10mo ago
  "Backpacking" in the US is conceptually and vernaculary different from trekking, not to argue something you probably know already and aren't claiming. The guesthouses in these countries were also government sponsored or owned-outright in my experience. There's an economic benefit to providing employment for the caretakers and of course for foreign tourism and even local travelers. Maybe highway rest-stops are the closest analog for the US but even many of those have been shuttered by governments driven to parsimony.
  - fooker 10mo ago
    Not just guesthouses though, it’s pretty easy to find a place to sleep in small villages. The word for it is ‘home-stay’, there are a few houses in every village that are set up to accommodate guests for a very reasonable amount of money. And these villages are pretty much everywhere. I have been lost in the Himalayas, and it was not that much work to walk down the river to a village.
    - wavefunction 10mo ago
      Isn't that due to a different relationship to travel? Many on foot, villagers passing through from one area to another perhaps for the market, it makes sense that there will be more opportunities for "walk-in" accommodations. In the US the expectation would be someone flying or driving long distances, or perhaps taking a bus, but not to sell produce at the regional market on foot. And foreign travelers to the US are often people of some financial means or are operating in specialized systems geared towards immigrants, like some of the "mexican" coach services in some states. I did find, like it seems you did, that I loved traveling through Nepal and the accommodations you've described. Remarkable and tough people living hard lives with resilient cheer.
ooterness 10mo ago
It took me a minute to realize that "Trekkers" in this headline is not referring to fans of Star Trek.
srameshc 10mo ago
Tea truly elevates the experience! I lived in western India years ago, and remember a trip to the mountains with a friend on a moped. It was raining and the tropical drizzle added to the fun. Reaching the top, we found a small tea vendor and a woman selling "pakoras" (deep-fried snacks). I can't quite describe the elevated experience at that point.
cwdegidio 10mo ago
I did the hike from Pokhara to Ghorepani (Poon Hill is breathtaking btw) and a few other small villages (about a week and half of backpacking). This was after a month in Kathmandu before and a month after. My absolute favorite parts of the whole trip were the teahouses and the roadside food stands. The food was excellent. The hosts were always extremely kind. This was back in 2009. It's now almost 20 years later and I've been itching to go back. Nepal will always have a place in my soul, there is no place like it.
rudhdb773b 10mo ago
Aren't you no longer allowed to go hiking without a hired guide anywhere in Nepal (even on well-marked non-technical trails)? Not being able to solo hike really ruins the experience for me, so I'll be avoiding Nepal until that changes.
- elliotto 10mo ago
  This rule does not apply in the main trekking areas that everyone goes to. In the areas that few people go to, it isn't actually enforced. The Nepalese government just introduces this rule every few years in response to a missing trekker in the guise of safety.

136 points by bookofjoe 10mo ago

I always love reading about Nepal. I've been a handful of times, for various short climbs and for some far longer 30+ day expeditions. If you're reading this and need a short escape from life, I really recommend looking into doing the trek to EBC. It's extremely accessible (and cheap), and I've personally seen people as young as 8 y/o and as old as 80 y/o doing it and having the time of their lives. I've been all over the world. Antarctica, climbing in Pakistan, trekking through the Middle East... Nepal was one of my first adventures and remains one of my favourites. To stay on topic... Teahouses can be found along every route through the mountains. Most of my fond memories are in teahouses, where you get to sit, have a black tea, and reflect on just how beautiful the people (and the mountains) are. It's also a great opportunity to meet people from other cultures. I'll always remember the Russian's who bought me a beer after climbing Island Peak, the cards I played with some kids in Samagaun... I could go on. Go visit Nepal!

MikeNotThePope 10mo ago
I did EBC in late 2024, and I've done a few other treks, too. I will say that while EBC was great & I'm glad I went, it's far more commercialized & full of tourists than some other treks. I found the experience of other treks (Langtang Valley, Mardi Himal) to have a more intimate and cozy vibe.
- setsewerd 10mo ago
  Yeah, I've trekked the Annapurna circuit as well as EBC and was struck by just how much better Annapurna was. And Annapurna isn't exactly unpopular, just way less overrun than EBC and way more scenic
  - hermitcrab 10mo ago
    I think it is just the draw of the word 'Everest'. I heard that you can't even see Everest from much of Everest base trek. Perhaps someone who has been can verify that?
    - deviation 10mo ago
      It's true. Usually, the first time you see Everest is from the Everest View Hotel (a small hike up from Namche Bazaar) -- so around day 3, depending on your speed -- and then once or twice more on the approach to Gorakshep. From there, you either hike up the Kala Patthar view-point which has that famous panoramic view of Everest, basecamp, and all the surrounding peaks... Or you trek around the canyon and begin the approach to EBC itself.
    - kakacik 10mo ago
      You can see it, but best views are from nearby hill called Kala Pathar. I presume you meant from Everest Base Camp, from EBC hike you can see Everest pyramid many times. There is a very nice variant of EBC hike called 3 passes trek. Goes over 3 high altitude passes (5500, 5400, 5300m) on top of base camp, making a nice loop. A better challenge, once outside main valley just few people, and views are stunning, ie from Gokyo Ri, or north walls of Taboche or Cholatse. A difference between meh and stunning for me.
  - bookofjoe 10mo ago
    "Around Annapurna" with Mountain Travel in the early 1980s. I was in terrific shape (at sea level) and thus very surprised at how hard I was breathing after running 100 meters on the Thorong La Pass at 18,000 feet.
    - hermitcrab 10mo ago
      Altitude sickness is also very unpredictable and sometimes hits the fittest people the worst.
      - 10mo ago
hermitcrab 10mo ago
Nepal is great. The people are generally very friendly. Kathmandu is very cosmopolitan. The mountains are stunning. I am going back again for the first time in 25 years. I'm doing a much gentler trek this time!
- checker659 10mo ago
  Kathmandu's pollution has spiraled out of control so please expect to find a much dustier capital.
  - hermitcrab 10mo ago
    That's a pity. Thanks for the heads up. Will take a face mask.
    - objektif 10mo ago
      And mosquito born diseases are going around like crazy thanks to global warming.
      - checker659 10mo ago
        It's winter here. That's mostly an issue during summer. Also, if you're out trekking, then that is a non-issue (especially higher up in the mountains).
    - elliotto 10mo ago
      I've been to Nepal a bunch of times and I usually recommend just passing quickly through KTM to get to where you are going. The dust can be terrible and it is loud and polluted - the opposite reason to why most people generally want to go to Nepal. Better to spend more time in the mountains or Pokhara
butlike 10mo ago
Your comment really accentuates the article. I'm glad the feeling I got reading the article was corroborated by your experience, and I hope to visit Nepal one day. Thanks.
brtkwr 10mo ago
Nepal is also an amazing culinary experience. The food has indo-chinese influence but is its own thing. Dal bhat is what regular people eat and is available in most teahouses and is the best thing after a hard day of walking. Also don't forget to try momos (I actually know someone who went recently and never tried momos in their entire trip! Only if we had spoken first!)
- fuzztester 10mo ago
  Dal bhat in Nepal is not unique to Nepal, it is also a huge Indian staple food, dal and rice in India, eaten in many parts of the country in various forms. Called dal chaval in Hindi states in north India, varan bhat in Maharashtra, and a variant called sambar sadam or similar in south India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal
  - brtkwr 10mo ago
    Didn’t say it was unique to Nepal. But eating a thali in Nepal is a different experience to the one in various states of India as i’m sure you know.
    - fuzztester 10mo ago
      your "is its own thing" implies "unique" to me. but if you want to hairsplit, go ahead. no issues. to each their own. and about your "as i’m sure you know.": how are you sure i know? are you me? or can you read my thoughts? hee hee. if so, mad props to you for being able to enter another person's mind. congrats, you may have acquired a siddhi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi /s.
  - objektif 10mo ago
    I have eaten both cuisines extensively and Nepali cuisine is very different from Indian and much better imo. Just because Indians eat dal bhat means little.
    - 10mo ago

maximgeorge 10mo ago

[dead]

hermitcrab 10mo ago

I trekked to the summit of Mera Peak some 25 years ago. We slept in tents every night. There were very few, if any, teahouses between Lukla and the summit back then. I guess it is good that more Nepalis are making a living from trekkers with their tea houses. It was an incredible experience, but not for the faint-hearted. A couple of people in our group were unlucky and had serious issues (oedema and an aneurism) and were too high for helicopter evacuation, but they both survived. If you want to do something like this, go with a reputable company (such as KE Experience in the UK).

joakleaf 10mo ago
Mera Peak is said to be possible without any climbing experience, and it looks like the trek from Lukla is about 2 weeks. Is that true? How hard is the trek -- Looks like it requires well above average fitness level?
- hermitcrab 10mo ago
  (Based on my recollections from ~25 years ago) Mera peak is the second highest non-technical peak in the world (the highest is in S America) at ~21,000 feet. Meaning you can basically walk to the top (no real climbing, but we were roped together for the final section, in case of crevasses). But the altitude and weather makes it much tougher than the equivalent trek near sea level. The summit day was incredibly gruelling, the hardest thing I have ever done physically. So you need a decent level of fitness. If you are significantly overweight or have dodgy knees, then it isn't for you. You are moderately fit and prepared to do some long walks in preparation, then you are probably fine. If you aren't sure, maybe go on one of the lower level treks and see how you get on.
  - helsinkiandrew 10mo ago
    > the highest is in S America Aconcagua in Argentina. It's on my 'things to do if in the area' list. The nearest airport is only a 200km drive on a tarmac road away and then a 40km trek to the peak! Although the 4km altitude gain is likely to be harder than the distance.

Lucasjohntee 10mo ago

[flagged]

fooker 10mo ago

This is main difference between backpacking in the US vs backpacking in India/Nepal/Bhutan. You just pack clothes, no matter how remote your destination is, there’s going to be food and shelter available every 6-8hours.

hermitcrab 10mo ago
>there’s going to be food and shelter available every 6-8hours In Nepal? That sounds like a risky assumption to make.
- fooker 10mo ago
  Yes Of course if you go completely off-trail for days all bets are off.
wavefunction 10mo ago
"Backpacking" in the US is conceptually and vernaculary different from trekking, not to argue something you probably know already and aren't claiming. The guesthouses in these countries were also government sponsored or owned-outright in my experience. There's an economic benefit to providing employment for the caretakers and of course for foreign tourism and even local travelers. Maybe highway rest-stops are the closest analog for the US but even many of those have been shuttered by governments driven to parsimony.
- fooker 10mo ago
  Not just guesthouses though, it’s pretty easy to find a place to sleep in small villages. The word for it is ‘home-stay’, there are a few houses in every village that are set up to accommodate guests for a very reasonable amount of money. And these villages are pretty much everywhere. I have been lost in the Himalayas, and it was not that much work to walk down the river to a village.
  - wavefunction 10mo ago
    Isn't that due to a different relationship to travel? Many on foot, villagers passing through from one area to another perhaps for the market, it makes sense that there will be more opportunities for "walk-in" accommodations. In the US the expectation would be someone flying or driving long distances, or perhaps taking a bus, but not to sell produce at the regional market on foot. And foreign travelers to the US are often people of some financial means or are operating in specialized systems geared towards immigrants, like some of the "mexican" coach services in some states. I did find, like it seems you did, that I loved traveling through Nepal and the accommodations you've described. Remarkable and tough people living hard lives with resilient cheer.

ooterness 10mo ago

It took me a minute to realize that "Trekkers" in this headline is not referring to fans of Star Trek.

srameshc 10mo ago

Tea truly elevates the experience! I lived in western India years ago, and remember a trip to the mountains with a friend on a moped. It was raining and the tropical drizzle added to the fun. Reaching the top, we found a small tea vendor and a woman selling "pakoras" (deep-fried snacks). I can't quite describe the elevated experience at that point.

cwdegidio 10mo ago

I did the hike from Pokhara to Ghorepani (Poon Hill is breathtaking btw) and a few other small villages (about a week and half of backpacking). This was after a month in Kathmandu before and a month after. My absolute favorite parts of the whole trip were the teahouses and the roadside food stands. The food was excellent. The hosts were always extremely kind. This was back in 2009. It's now almost 20 years later and I've been itching to go back. Nepal will always have a place in my soul, there is no place like it.

rudhdb773b 10mo ago

Aren't you no longer allowed to go hiking without a hired guide anywhere in Nepal (even on well-marked non-technical trails)? Not being able to solo hike really ruins the experience for me, so I'll be avoiding Nepal until that changes.

elliotto 10mo ago
This rule does not apply in the main trekking areas that everyone goes to. In the areas that few people go to, it isn't actually enforced. The Nepalese government just introduces this rule every few years in response to a missing trekker in the guise of safety.